The clown is coming back to Derry. HBO has officially renewed IT: Welcome to Derry for a second season, giving fans another trip into the terrifying world created by Stephen King. The prequel series, produced by Warner Bros. Television and executive produced by Andy and Barbara Muschietti, will continue expanding the mythology behind Pennywise and the cursed town he calls home.
The renewal does not come as a major surprise, as the series had already performed strongly for HBO and Max. However, the network had reportedly been waiting to see the creative direction for the next chapter before formally announcing Season 2. The new season will also bring a change behind the scenes, with Brad Caleb Kane taking over as the show’s sole showrunner.
Season 2 Takes IT Into the 1930s
IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 will remain rooted in the history of Derry but move into another disturbing period in the town’s past. The story will be set in 1935, during the Great Depression, and will centre on the bloody massacre of the Bradley Gang.
The Bradley Gang is a group of bank robbers who arrive in Derry intending to purchase ammunition. Their visit, however, quickly turns into something far more horrifying as they encounter the supernatural evil lurking beneath the town.
That setting gives the series another opportunity to explore Derry’s history without simply repeating the events of the recent IT movies. The first season established that the town’s relationship with Pennywise stretches much further back than the stories audiences already knew, and Season 2 appears ready to dig even deeper into that history.
HBO Max Original Programming head Sarah Aubrey said the new season will further expand Andy and Barbara Muschietti’s adaptation while deepening the terror, mystery and Pennywise mythology that audiences have embraced. The Muschiettis will continue to executive produce alongside Kane and the rest of the returning production team.
The decision to move into 1935 also keeps the series’ anthology-like approach to Derry’s history intact. Instead of simply following the same group of characters, the show can use different eras to reveal why the town has remained trapped in a cycle of violence and supernatural horror.
Brad Caleb Kane Takes Over Season 2
Season 1 was co-run by Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane, but Kane will now serve as the sole showrunner for the second season. The change gives him greater creative control as the series moves into its next period of Derry’s history.
Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti will continue their involvement as executive producers through their Double Dream banner. Kane will also executive produce alongside Roy Lee, Dan Lin, Jamie Travis and Dhana Gilbert.
The Muschiettis have described the opportunity to continue exploring Stephen King’s world as a privilege and thanked HBO and Warner Bros. Television for their support. Their continued involvement should help preserve the connection between Welcome to Derry and the earlier IT movies directed by Andy Muschietti.
That connection remains one of the show’s biggest attractions. Bill Skarsgård, who played Pennywise in Muschietti’s two IT films, returned to the role for the HBO series, giving the prequel a familiar face at the centre of its mythology.
Season 1 also featured Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige and James Remar among its ensemble cast. HBO has not yet revealed the complete Season 2 cast in the renewal announcement, meaning details about which characters will return remain limited.
Pennywise’s Story Is Far From Over
The renewal gives HBO an opportunity to continue expanding one of Stephen King’s most recognisable horror worlds while moving beyond the specific story told in the movies. IT: Welcome to Derry has already demonstrated that there is considerably more to the town’s history than Pennywise’s encounters with the Losers’ Club.
The first season premiered on HBO in October and became one of the strongest launches in HBO Max’s history, ranking among the platform’s top four series premieres globally. That performance helped establish that audiences were interested in exploring the mythology behind the IT films rather than simply revisiting the same storyline.
Season 2 now has the chance to make that mythology even bigger. The Bradley Gang massacre provides a historical event around which the story can build, while the 1935 setting opens the door to another version of Derry shaped by economic hardship, violence and fear.
The biggest attraction, naturally, remains Pennywise. Bill Skarsgård’s return ensures that the supernatural heart of the franchise remains intact, but the show’s larger purpose is to show that Pennywise is only one part of what makes Derry such a disturbing place.
The series can continue exploring the idea that the town itself carries the scars of generations of violence. Every new period can reveal another piece of that puzzle, allowing Welcome to Derry to function as both a horror series and an expanding history of King’s fictional town.
For now, HBO has not announced a premiere date for Season 2. But with the renewal confirmed and Kane taking over as sole showrunner, the next chapter is officially moving forward.
And if the first season proved anything, it is that Derry still has plenty of dark secrets left to uncover.
IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 Q&A
Has IT: Welcome to Derry been renewed for Season 2?
Yes. HBO has officially renewed IT: Welcome to Derry for a second season.
When will IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 release?
HBO has not announced a Season 2 premiere date yet.
When is Season 2 set?
The second season is set in 1935, during the Great Depression.
What will IT: Welcome to Derry Season 2 be about?
The season will revolve around the bloody massacre of the Bradley Gang, a group of bank robbers who arrive in Derry looking to buy ammunition before encountering unimaginable horror.
Who is the Season 2 showrunner?
Brad Caleb Kane, who co-showran the first season with Jason Fuchs, will serve as the sole showrunner for Season 2.
Will Bill Skarsgård return as Pennywise?
The renewal announcement confirms that Skarsgård has played Pennywise in the series, but it does not provide specific Season 2 casting details.
Will Andy Muschietti return?
Andy and Barbara Muschietti will continue as executive producers alongside the returning creative team.
How successful was Season 1?
HBO says IT: Welcome to Derry ranked among the top four series premieres globally in HBO Max history.
